Ministry of Health and Sanitation has recorded 14 new cholera cases within seven days, bringing the total number of cases to 168 with five deaths since the first case was confirmed in December last year.
Public Health Institute of Malawi (Phim) latest weekly report issued on April 1 2026 shows that 94 of the cases are male while 74 are female aged between one and 75.
Reads the update: “Twenty-six out of Malawi’s 29 districts have reported at least one suspected cholera case.”
behavioural change. | Nation
Blantyre has recorded the highest number of cases at 71, followed by Chikwawa and Zomba with 19 cases each.
Other affected districts include Mulanje with 16 cases, Neno 14, Chiradzulu nine, Mwanza six, Kasungu five, Lilongwe three and Balaka two while Chitipa, Dowa, Karonga and Mzimba North have recorded one case each.
As part of response efforts, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation conducted two rounds of oral cholera vaccine campaigns with the first round vaccinating 520 163 people out of 521 728 targeted in Blantyre, Neno, Mwanza and Kasungu districts.
The second round covered Blantyre, Mulanje, Chikwawa and Chiradzulu, reaching 510 134 people out of 510 551 targeted.
Other interventions include cholera awareness and distribution of chlorine in communities for water treatment.
However, the Phim update indicates that there is need for additional support, including chlorine, logistics for rapid response teams and materials such as buckets and soap for targeted interventions in affected areas.
Commenting on the matter, Malawi Health Equity Network executive director George Jobe said the continued cases could be due to lapses among individuals in basic hygiene practices.
“There is a need for behavioural change and citizens should acknowledge that they have a role in the fight against cholera,” he said.
Jobe also urged councils to strengthen waste management, particularly in markets.
In February, Ministry of Health and Sanitation spokesperson Adrian Chikumbe said while response measures against cholera were sufficient, public behaviour and attitudes towards hygiene remained a challenge.
Ministry of Health data shows that Malawi recorded 306 cholera cases and 15 deaths between September 2024 and March 2025.
The worst recent cholera outbreak in the country occurred between 2022 and 2023 when 59 376 cases and 1 722 deaths were recorded.
